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WASHINGTON — Confidence in the U.S. job market has rebounded to roughly a normal level from its
record low after the Great Recession, a trend that could help boost the economy.

Americans increasingly feel they could find a new job if necessary, according to the results of
the 2012 General Social Survey, a long-standing poll of public opinion. And fear of being laid off
dropped last year from its 2010 peak to roughly its average for the 35 years the question has been
asked.

The percentage of Americans who said it would be somewhat or very easy to find a job if they
lost theirs rose to 54 percent last year from 46 percent in 2010. The 2010 figure was the lowest
since 1983, when the United States was also emerging from a deep recession. On average in the
survey’s history, about 58 percent of respondents have said it would be very or somewhat easy to
find a job.

As layoffs have declined, fewer Americans fear losing their job. Last year, 11 percent of adults
thought it was somewhat or very likely that they’d lose theirs. That was down from a record-high 16
percent in 2010. And it matches the 11 percent average the survey has found since it began asking
the question.

Americans might be feeling even more secure now than when the survey was taken last year. The
number of layoffs fell in January to the lowest level in the 12 years the government has tracked
the data. Fewer people are seeking unemployment benefits.

And employers have stepped up hiring, though job gains slowed in March. Employers added nearly
2.2 million jobs in 2012, an average of about 180,000 a month. That’s enough to slowly lower the
unemployment rate.

Even though the rate remains high at 7.6 percent, greater confidence among those who have a job
could encourage more consumer spending and boost economic growth.